No, I have not gone Missing In Action! This past week was our Spring Break Week. My time got away from me so fast and I finally realized that I had not posted all week.

Really…I am not sure how much spiritual insight I would have had…I felt like I was on a mission trip and I didn’t even leave my house! I think you will get the picture after you hear all the occurrences that progressed through the week.

Mission Trip – Lesson #1 Responsibility comes with ownership.
Being the owner of a horse can mean lots of needed responsibility even when it might not seem like the “funnest of times”. The week before Spring Break we found a very infected/swollen place on the back leg of our horse, Solomon. Therefore, all the plans that we had in place to go to the beach all got put to the back burner. I have been “fellowshipping” with Solomon 3-4 times a day for the last 2 weeks while he is recuperating. I could go into great detail at what that entails but I will spare you! Let’s just say we all have seen more of his hind quarters than should be allowed! 🙂

Mission Trip – Lesson #2 Sometimes the Lights will Go Out in Georgia
After we decided that we would be homebound for the week, we settled in to try to come up with all kinds of activities that the girls would like to do in our hometown that we normally don’t get the chance to participate in since life can get so busy. This plan was going well – till Monday night when a MONSTER SIZED storm came through Georgia and we lost power for a day and a half.

No electricity, no TV, no water, no toilets, no shower, no cooking… boy, did the list seem to be getting longer of all the things we couldn’t do rather than what we could do.

This scene was beginning to show frowns on 3 little girls faces like I had never seen before and as a parent I wanted to try to do something about it – but I couldn’t.

The whining and complaining began to surface in full force! We were outside riding our bikes (because the sun did come out and prove to be a beautiful day) and I began to put my preachin’ voice on.

I shared with my girls that we were blessed more than they realized because there were many people who were working hard at trying to get our electricity restored where in many countries of our “sponsored family members” they lived without electricity day in and day out. They didn’t have TV much less all the electronic conveniences that we have every day.

Our perspectives began to change a bit. Discussions opened up as my 8-year-old and my 6-year-old tried to figure out how people lived in those countries. The questions were endless but the wisdom that was learned through this experience was priceless.

Mission Trip #3 – God is in control of EVERYTHING!
Toward the middle part of the week after the power was finally restored the vet decided that it might be a good idea for me to take a road trip with the horse down to University of Florida for a more in-depth look at what we had going on. This brought total fear upon me. The lump that was in my throat was now a boulder in my stomach!

I am fine with trailering the horse as long as we don’t have to travel on the interstate. Call me a wimp! Things just move way too fast for me carrying a half ton animal in a trailer!

I felt all the sudden that I was back as a child trying to “put on my big girl panties” and stepping out of my comfort zone. So Thursday, as the day approached and Solomon was making some improvements, I got up extra early and spent some much-needed time with Jesus to ask for His direction in all of this. Maybe a little late, but He was there waiting with open arms and here is what I read…”In Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young and felt His Holy Spirit all over what I was reading that morning.

“As you become increasingly aware of My Presence, you find it easier to discern the way you should go. This is one of the practical benefits of living close to Me. Instead of wondering about what is on the road ahead or worrying about what you should do if.. or when…, you can concentrate on staying in communication with Me. When you actually arrive at a choice-point, I will show you which direction to go.

I, the Creator of the Universe, am the most creative Being imaginable. I will not leave you circling in deeply rutted paths. Instead, I will lead you along fresh trails of adventure, revealing to you things you did not know. Stay in communication with Me. Follow My guiding Presence.”

I asked God for TRUTH to be revealed as to all we were to do with traveling to Florida with the horse. I knew it was crazy to ask for a very big shining light as to whether we were to go or not. We packed up for our day and headed over to the barn to find that all the swelling had gone away and he was walking on it FINE! In fact, he cantered around the ring with excitement!

I am not lying to you! God gave us a miraculous sign with healing the horse! Haha! We were overcome with JOY!

Now, I am not saying that we won’t be traveling to Florida one day soon to make sure all is ok, but for this one day – when things were not seeming to line up anyway with transportation (I forgot to mention my car messed up during all of this!) and I was having a hard time arranging a friend come go with me on my journey – God took over and showed me He can do the miraculous even in a HORSE!

All this to say, My Friends, God will sometimes give us lemons – and they are not bad lemons – they are just part of the fruit bowl of life – and we are to make LEMONADE in any fashion that we can – even if it is during Spring Break! Sometimes he allows these things to happen to teach us about the bigger and better parts of life with Him.

Now this is where I was really blown away – here is today’s devotional as I sat this morning and pondered on my week of Spring Break…

“Come to Me for rest and refreshment. The journey has been too much for you, and you are bone-weary. Do not be ashamed of your exhaustion. Instead, see it as an opportunity for Me to take charge of your life.

Remember, that I can fit everything into a pattern for good, including the things you wish were different. Start with where you are at this point in time and space, accepting that this is where I intend you to be. You will get through today one step, one moment at a time. Your main responsibility is to remain attentive to Me, letting Me guide you through the many choices along your pathway. “

Romans 8:28 (AMP) “we are assured and know that {God being a partner in their labor} all things work together and are {fitting into a plan} for good to and for those who love God and are called according to His design and purpose.”

Praying for you all as we begin a NEW WEEK! Thanks for hanging in there with me today as I tell all these long lessons learned this week – I guess I am trying to make up for lost time!

God bless you!